Insect destroyer



0. RANNEFELD.

INSECT DESTROYER. APPLICATION FILED 020.24, 1920.

Patented Jan. 10, 19 22..

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

as W; f'

0. RANNEFELD.

INSECT DESTROYER.

1,402,960 APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1920- Patented Jan 10 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

OTTO RANNEFELD, OF SHERWOOD, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH 1 0 ROBERT F.

HALBERT, OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS.

INSEQT DESTBOYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1,402,960. Patented J an. 10, 1922.

Application filed December 24, 1320. Serial No.,432,992.

rear portion with depending standards 1- To all whom, it may concern:

' Thelower ortion of each ofthestandards 1 Be it known that I, OTTO RANNEFEIJ), a

citizen of the United States, residin at is provider with a spindle on which is Sherwood, in the county of Irion and tate mounted a supporting wheel W. of Texas, have. invented certain newand use- Qperatively engaged with the forward iul Improvements in Insect gDestroyers, of portion of the frame F at substantially its which the following is aspec1fication,refer transverse center is a fifth wheel 3 from ones being had to the accompanyingdrawwhich depend the standards 4. 'The lower ing s. end portion of each of the standards 4 is his invention relates to insect destroyers provided with a spindle 5 on which is and has relation more particularly to a demountedasupportingwheel1V. The wheels \V permit the frame F to be readily and conveniently steered in accordance withthe requirements of practice. It is to be understood that the device is adapted to be drawn 7 novel and improved device of this. general in any suitable manner but preferably by a character wherein heat is employed as the double team of draft animals. life exterminating agency. The wheels are arranged inwardly of Another object of the invention is to prothe rear wheels lV and said rear wheels vide a novel and improved device of this are spaced apart a distance whereby the same, when the machine is in use, closely approach the rows of plants at opposite sides of the row being treated. The device is particularly adapted for use in connection nation of boll weevils and kindred life, and 1t is an object of the invention to provide a means for dislodging the boll weevils or the with cotton plants and in order that the ii e from the plants and directing the same wheels will not break the plants, ,the within the pan or hood, said pan or hood beouter end portion of each of the spindles ing provided with a discharging agency for has secured thereto the upper end portion said insects. V of a rod 6, said rod being disposed for- The invention consists in the detail f wardly on an angle of substantially forty- 35 construction and in the combination and ariive degrees and having its lower end closely iangement of the several parts of my imapproaching the ground line. As the device proved insect destroyer whereby certain 1m- 01' machine advances, the rod 6 will serve to portant advantages are attained and the dcdeflect the portionsoi the plants winch may vice rendered simpler, less expensive and he extending in the path of travel of the otherwise more, convenient and advantadecent wheel W. V 7 goons for nse as Wiil he hereinaftermorc alounted uponthe central portio gpi the f ll set 11 frame F and ai'ijaccnt the oppos te s des .The novel, ieatures of my invention will thereof are the fan casings C each of which hcreinafterbedefinitely claimed. has depending therefrom a spout 7 of a In order thatm invention may be the betlength to closely approachtheground .snrter understood, will now pro ed to d face. The lower end portion of the spout scribe the same with reference to the ac- T is continued by an inwardly directed companying drawings, wherein: nozzle 8. The casings C and the spouts 7 lgure 1 is a side elevation of an insect are so arranged thatthc no z zlcs.8 e, ed destroyer embodying my invention, apart in a direct on longltlldllhfllly qf fllfi Fig. 2 isa front viewthereof, frame F or in thedirection of travel ofgjhe Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the device or machine, so that thenir. blasts line 3:3 oflfig. l, and r or lII'IB,IltS..llSCl1lIg1Ilg,flQln thenazzlesfi will Ill-Qt interfere one with the other. rranged within each of the casings C is afan 9 of a conventional Fig. 4 is a similar view, onv the line 4-4 of type including a shaft-lO-extending exteriory I l disclosed in the accompanying drawv of thecas n In advance of the casings the frame" configuration and which is 7 V supports a transversely disposed counterprovided at its opposite sides adjacent its 25 are provided shaft 11 in driven connection with an engine E preferably of an internal combustion type and which engine is suitably mounted upon the rear portion of the frame F The extended portions of the shafts of the fans 9 are in driven connection, as at 12, with the rountershaft 11 whereby the desired air blasts or currents may be created.

Each marginal portion of the frame F in substantially transverse alinement with the spout 7 remote therefrom is provided with a depending rod 14, said rod being disposed through a vertically arranged bearing or sleeve 15 carried by the frame F so that salt rod let may be raised or lowered as the requirements of practice may necessitate. The rod 14 is held in desired position or adjustment by a set-screw 16 threaded through a wall of the sleeve or bearing 15 and contacting with the rod 14.

The lower end portion of each of the rods 14: is provided with a cross head 17 disposed in a direction longitudinally of the frame F. Depending from the opposite end portions of the cross head 17 are the rods 18 slidably disposed through the upstanding brackets 19 carried by the top wall of a pan or hood 1. interposed between each of the brackets 19 and an end portion of the cross head 17 is an expansible member 20 herein disclosed as a coil spring encircling a rod 18 whereby the pan or hood P is constantly urged downwardly yet permitted to have an upward "ieldin movement as may be occasioned by inequalities or irregularities in the line or surface with which the pan or hood P may coact. The free or lower endoportion of each of the rods 18 is provided with a head or enlargement 21 to prevent complete separation between said rod and its coacting bracket.

Each of the pans or hoods P comprises an elongated hollow member substantially rectangular in cross section with its longitudinal axis disposed lengthwise of the frame F. The inner face of the pan or hood P is open and the inner mar inal portion of the bottom wall 22 of sai pan or hood P is outwardly extended and curved downwardly, the free edge of said extended portion 23 contacting with and riding on the ground. The rear portion of the bottom wall 22 and also the top wall 24: adjacent the ends thereof or immediately adjacent the end walls with the openings 26, the tcpp openings permitting the ingress or egress 0 air, as may be required, while the lower openings 26 are particularly adapted for use as dischar ing openings.

Depending rom each side portion of the frame F and substantially in parallelism with an adjacent rod 14 IS a pipe line 27 leading from a tank T suppprted by the forward portion of the frame and which tank is adapted to contain a supply of gasoline or other liquid fuel. The lower ortion of the pipe line 27 is freely disposed through the top wall 24 of a pan or hood P and terminates therein. As the top wall 24 of the pan or hood P is entirely disconnected from the pipe line 27, said pipe line offers no hindrance or obstruction to the vertical yielding movement of the pan or hood P which ma occur.

he pipe line 27 within the pan or hood P is positioned at substantially the longitudinal center thereof and in close proximity to the inner open face of the pan or i hood.

B denotes an elongated and substantially horizontally disposed burner provided at its central portion with a coupling 28 adapted to be fitted upon the lower or adjacent end portion of the pipe line 27, said coupling 28 being of such length as to permit the burner B to be vertically adjusted to a certain degree as the requirements of practice may prefer. Threaded through the wall of the coupling 28 is a set-screw 29 for 00 action with the pi we line 27 in a conventional manner so that t e burner B may be effectively held in its desired position with respect to the pipe line 27.

The burner 3 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced tips 30 disposed outwardly with respect to the frame F or toward the back wall 31 of the pan or hood 1 so that the flames from said tips will be directed outwardly.

intersecting the pan or hood P in close proximity to but spaced from the back wall 31 is a foraminous partition 32, preferably a wire mesh of desired gauge. The openings 26, hereinbefore referred to, are arranged between the back wall 31 and this partition 32.

In practice, the machine is adapted to straddle a row of plants to be treated, with a pan or hood P at each side of said row. The air blasts or currents emitted from the nonales 8 operate to blow boll weevils or other insects lodged upon the plants, together with the squares, into the pans or hoods P. The air rurrents or blasts are sufficiently strong to blow the insects and squares against the partition 32 and as said insects and squares drop to the bottom wall 22, the same are consumed or destroyed by the flames from the adjacent burner B. The resultant ashes will be blown throu h the partition 32 and said ashes will be ischarged from within the pan or hood P through the lower openings 26. By this means, the ashes can be used for fertilizing the ground.

My improved device is particularly adapted for use in the early spring so that the boll weevils or the like which may have survived the winter may be efiectively destroyed. Bv destroying the insects at this time. an effective control is had over the lOO resultant evils of such insects due to the fact that their destruction in the early spring ofl'sets their prolific increase.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an insect destroyer constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facil- 'ty with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susce tible of some change and modification witliout departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in Ipractice except as hereinafter claimed.

claim:

1. A device of the class described embodying a portable structure including a pan adapted to be positioned at one side of a row of plants, said pan comprising a hollow body having its inner face open, means carried by the structure adapted to be positioned at the opposite side of the plant row for directing a blast of air across said row and into the pan through the open face thereof, a burner arranged within the pan adjacent the open face thereof and provided with means to direct a flame toward the back wall of the pan, and a vertically disposed foraminous partition intersecting the pan and positioned inwardly of the back wall.

2. A device of the class described embodying a portable structure includin a pan adapted to be positioned at one side of a row of plants, said pan comprising a hollow body having its inner face open, means carried by the structure adapted to be positioned at the opposite side of the plant row for directing a blast of air across said row and into the pan through the open face thereof, a burner arranged within the pan adjacent the open face thereof and provided with means to direct a flame toward the back wall of the pan, and a vertically disposed foraminous partition intersecting the an and positioned inwardly of the back wall? certain of the walls of the pan between the partition and back wall being provided with openings.

3. A device of the class described embodying a portable structure, a rod depending from the structure and provided at its lower end portion with a cross head, rods depending from the cross head, a pan adapted to be positioned at one side of a row ofplants, upstanding brackets carried by the pan, the rods depending from the cross head being slidably disposed through said brackets, and an expansible member surrounding each of said depending rods and interposed between a bracket and the cross head.

4. A device of the class described embodying a portable structure, a rod depending from the structure and provided at its lower end portion with a cross head, rods depending from the cross head, a pan adapted to be positioned at one side of a. row of plants, upstanding brackets carried by the pan, the rods depending from the cross head being slidably disposed through said brackets, an expansible member surrounding each of said depending rods and interposed between a bracket and the cross head, said first named rod being vertically adjustable with respect to the portable structure, and means for normally holding said first named rod in a fixed position with respect to the portable structure.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afilx my signature.

OTTO RANNEFELD. 

